


a final sunset

by illoryn



Category: Skulduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy, Skulduggery Pleasant - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Suicidal Thoughts, depressed valkyrie, fletcher is best boy, post tdotl, pre resurrection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-05-16 23:35:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14821050
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/illoryn/pseuds/illoryn
Summary: She listened to the ringing, wondering if he would pick up. What would she do if he didn't?Eventually, the ringing stopped and she held her breath at the sound of movement.“Val?” Fletcher croaked.“Did I wake you?” She spoke softly. She forgot there was a time difference. It was seven p.m for her, meaning it was three a.m in Ireland, where he was. She had woken him.“No, no, you’re fine. What’s wrong?” He had his morning voice, the voice she fell in love with every time she heard it.She hesitated. Should she tell him? No. She decided against it, she would just end up causing more problems for him.





	a final sunset

This wasn’t how the fight was supposed to go. Then again, was she surprised she couldn’t defend herself? 

She had closed herself off from everyone she loved when she moved to Colorado. Skulduggery and Fletcher had tried finding her, but she always led them far away from Colorado. 

She thought she would be okay against one person, but how wrong she was. She forgot how much strength anger could give, especially when the cause of anger was Darquesse murdering your entire family.

Right now, she was lying in an alley near her apartment, a knife stuck in her abdomen. A pool of her own blood was slowly growing around her, and she fumbled around until her hand found her phone.

She inhaled and picked it up, pressing the speed dial, squeezing her eyes shut as a wave of pain shot through her. She listened to the ringing, wondering if he would pick up. What would she do if he didn't? 

Eventually, the ringing stopped and she held her breath at the sound of movement.

“Val?” Fletcher croaked.

“Did I wake you?” She spoke softly. She forgot there was a time difference. It was seven p.m for her, meaning it was three a.m in Ireland, where he was. She had woken him.

“No, no, you’re fine. What’s wrong?” He had his morning voice, the voice she fell in love with every time she heard it.

She hesitated. Should she tell him? No. She decided against it, she would just end up causing more problems for him. 

“I just missed your voice. Needed some normality, something I'm used to.. Is it a bad time? I can hang up if you want.” Valkyrie was beginning to lose feeling in her foot. She was pale, and sweaty, the blood sticky on her hand, smeared across her phone screen.

“No, not at all. How’s America?” 

“It’s.. great. Actually, no. It’s not. I’m really fucking lonely. Everything sucks over here.” She gave up on lying. For once, she wanted to be honest. It was her last chance.

“Come back home, then, Val.” Fletcher insisted, his voice still sort of sleepy. 

She sucked in a breath. It was getting harder to do. “I can’t, Fletch.” 

There was silence until he sighed. “Val,” He began, but she cut him off. “Fletcher, please. I want to explain.”

He stopped and patiently waited.

“I’ve been thinking lately, about everything, and I.. I still love you. And I know I treated you horribly so you don’t have to say anything, and that this isn’t really an excuse for why I did what I did, but I was scared. You were my first real boyfriend and I just... began to think you didn’t care. I was stupid, but I believed it. So I figured you wouldn’t hurt me if I did it first.” 

She rushed it all out, and soon realised hot tears were spilling down her cheeks. She couldn’t tell whether it was from sadness or the fact she was slowly dying.

“But I never stopped caring, and I still care so much, and when you found Stephanie I was so jealous but so happy because you were happy. And then... and then me, being the selfish bitch I am, let Darquesse take that away from you. And dear god, am I sorry. I was the worst thing to ever happen to you.” Breathing was becoming hard.

“Valkyrie, I forgive you.” Fletcher spoke.

“No, I don’t deserve it, Fletcher. I just want you to know why.”

A pause. When he finally spoke again, she could sense his hesitation. “Why what?”

Valkyrie was struggling to breath, barely having the strength to hold up her phone.

“Valkyrie? What did you do?” Fletcher seemed more alert, concern evident in his voice.

“Call the Colorado police. Tell them Stephanie Edgely was stabbed and in an alley near 3110 Sampson Street, Aurora. I love you so much. I have to go. This is not the end.”

“Valkyrie? What do you mean?” The sounds of clothes rustling was faintly heard in the back. He wasn't hiding his panic now. 

“I love your voice. I love your face. I love your stupid, stupid hair. I love your personality, and how you’re so funny yet also so caring. I love that weird mix of a grin and smirk you do, I love you for giving me the world and I’m sorry I didn’t appreciate it sooner. I love you for all of that, and so much more. Stay where you are, Fletch. It's too late for me.”

“I’m coming, Val."

"Fletcher, please," she was sobbing now, her body shaking violently. "It's okay. I'm okay. I'm coming home."

I’m not going to lose you now. I will find you.” Fletcher spoke abruptly into the phone, before Valkyrie’s finger slipped and hung up. She watched the call disconnect, and let out a content sigh. She got to say her goodbye.

Finally, true bliss.

Valkyrie let the phone slip from between her shaky hands, and a dry laugh escaped her lips. She slowly raised her hand up towards the twilight sky, remembering when she once thought she was going to die, except she was in Fletchers arms as he raced through the Sanctuary shouting for help, both of them covered in blood and Fletcher unable to teleport. How far they had come. For her, it was a final sunset. For Fletcher, he would hopefully live on for a long time and experience many more for the both of them.

With the last of her strength, she spoke the line that had haunted Fletcher for eight horrendous years. “I’m never going to see the sky again.” 

And the darkness slowly enveloped her, it’s welcoming arms sheltering her from the cold.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There was a beep, faintly becoming louder and louder each time. Her eyes slowly opened and they focused on the hospital room. She was facing a clock that read five a.m

Her throat was dry, and she could barely move, her head was pounding from a headache. She heard somebody choke back tears and looked up to see Fletcher, his hair messy and flattened as if his hand had been run through it repeatedly.

He was wearing the hoodie she always used to steal and a pair of tracksuit bottoms. There was dark circles under his bloodshot eyes, and he was gripping Valkyries hand.

“Val,” he cried out, his voice hoarse, “I thought I lost you. I knew I’d find you though.”

Valkyrie was in shock, and her eyes filled with tears. She wanted to apologize for everything. All the hurt. Heartache. Yet he had always been there for help. Sure, she's saved Fletcher before, but he's saved her more times than she could count.

"I was so scared." He whispered suddenly. Valkyrie made a weird noise, encouraging him to continue. He understood and did. "I had a bad feeling yesterday, and I called Skulduggery but he said it was nothing. I listened to him and decided to just go asleep. When I woke up to my phone ringing and I saw your contact name I... I just knew something had happened."

Tears were streaming down his face as he spoke. "Everything you said seemed hesitant. All of your words were carefully chosen. It's what you do when trying to hide stuff. Why didn't you just tell me, Val?"

"I deserved it. I deserved to be stabbed, I deserved to be half dead in that alley. Why didn't you leave me, Fletch? I shouldn't have called you at all." She replied softly, ignoring the pain when she spoke. She took a deep breath. "How did you find me in time?"

"I found you months ago, Val. I was about to leave here when I saw you walk in. I was gonna call you, but I decided if you wanted more time it was okay. I didn't tell anyone, by the way. Nobody knows you're here."

She wasn't sure how to reply, but he stared her in the eyes, suddenly dead serious. "Val, don't say you deserve to die. Please. I know it's hard, but please. Let me help you. I won't leave. I promise. I love you so much, Val, and I cannot stand the thought of you leaving me behind." 

"I won't. I won't leave you behind."

Slowly, Fletcher stood up and moved towards the closed blinds, gave her his signature smirk and said eight words that made tears flow down her face from both relief and happiness.

“Do you want to watch the sunrise together?”


End file.
